Tigers, Chargers in

Case in point: McKinley and Pearl City. The Tigers, boosted by a solid core of junior varsity products and some savvy seniors, have qualified for the Oahu Interscholastic Association basketball playoffs. The Tigers claimed the sixth and final berth in the East, finishing higher than Castle, Kaiser, Farrington and Kailua, among the rest.

McKinley (6-5) is neither taller nor more athletic than those teams. But with Nainoa Lessary and Dat Vo leading the way, the smallish Tigers have reached the playoffs with strategy drawn up by coach Bob Morikuni.

In the West, Pearl City (5-5) secured the final playoff spot ahead of Nanakuli, Waianae and Waipahu. The leadership of players like Rollie Salvacion and Travis Cruz proved crucial.

The playoffs begin Friday night, with the third seeds, Radford and Moanalua, hosting.

Still the 1: Kamehameha garnered all 17 first-place ballots to remain atop the Star-Bulletin Top 10 today. Four of the Warriors' 10 wins in Interscholastic League of Honolulu play have been by margins of six points or less.